Return Home
by Arisprite
Summary: It was the first time he'd seen Winry since that day on the train platform. Well, here they were on another platform, only Ed was coming instead of going, and the two of them should really have a conversation or something? A post-manga fic, where Ed returns from his first trip.


For the first time since he was a little kid, Edward had felt train sick the whole ride. His stomach was fluttering with nerves. This was the first time he and Winry had seen each other since he'd confessed how he felt about her on the train platform. They'd lightly discussed it in letters, but he still couldn't help but imagine terrible scenarios in which Winry told him she didn't love him back, or worse, laughed at him.

As the train pulled into Resembool station, he watched the platform; looking for a blonde ponytail, or flash of blue eyes and silver earrings. Though the crowd of both passengers and greeters was large, he didn't see a sign of Winry.

He sighed, and sat back in his seat while the train came to a full stop. He'd sent his date and time of arrival by letter a week ago, but there was no guarantee that she'd gotten it, or that she was available (or wanted) to come. After all, this wasn't how they did things. He and Al had always walked up the hill from the main town to the Rockbell's house alone. They had never asked to be met at the station. So, it would make sense for her to be confused, or not want to come...right? He rubbed his face in his hands, and groaned lightly to himself. Argh, he was so awkward!

After all, he'd been gone for months. Travelling through the west was a dream, and the feeling of burying himself in the history books was everything he loved about research. This time, though he'd written letters, and sent home things. Little artifacts, or papers and articles for safe keeping… of course, he'd only collected more things, so much so that all the things he'd amassed would only fit in two trunks. Guess not getting attacked or kidnapped meant he bought more stuff.

Edward moved stiffly off the passenger side of the train, and stood in line to collect his things, and then rent a wagon to carry them up to the Rockbell's house. He surreptitiously stretched his back, and hips as he waited. The long train ride had done his automail leg no favors, and he could tell he no longer had the seemingly indestructible joints of his youth, even at nineteen. Though the automail itself was in fine working order (thanks to Winry finally drumming his maintenance routine into his thick skull), his hip on that side, and the opposite side of his back ached when he sat for too long, and in rainy weather the limb itself was full of phantom pains that nothing could resolve. The really depressing thing was that according to an ever-pleasant Winry, it would only get worse as he got older. Ugh.

Regaining his thoughts, he claimed his trunks (of course, decorated with little skulls and crosses!) and loaded them on his rented wagon. The man driving it was familiar.

"Old Man Jools?" Ed recalled suddenly, remembering a tall figure from his childhood, a grizzled face and kind eyes. He was a painter, worked in the General Store, and apparently did odd jobs for the station. Old Man Jools, as they'd called him (though in retrospect, he wasn't really that old, maybe Mustang's age, when he'd been a child) wasn't as tall anymore. In fact, Ed passed him, and his face was grizzled still.

"Edward Elric!" He declared. It was literally the only way the old man spoke. "Look at you, boy! Not so little anymore."

Edward rolled his eyes, and tamped down that old familiar bristle. He had grown, and he'd also spent some time among the island people of Donbachi, where the average height is five foot. It helped to be the tall one for a while.

"How are you doing, sir?" Ed asked, shaking his hand. He used his right, shamelessly. It felt good. Jools shook it firmly, his fingers delicate on Ed's wrist. There was something knowing in the man's eyes.

Ed didn't know how much of the true story made it to the public, or to Resembool, but it had been known that he'd lost an arm and a leg. The story for Al was a little more foggy, he thought. Getting it back had been big news in the military, and Central newspapers carried variations of the truth, if nothing exact or detailed, but Resembool was quiet. And, though he and Al had stayed here almost two years after the whole thing, they'd been focusing on healing, and regaining health and strength.

"Well, well, doing well." He said, smiling. Then, his eyes glinted. "You back to marry your automail engineer?"

Ed choked. And then spluttered, face reddening.

"No, no, uh, sorry, I- I, don't think...uh, maybe someday, I mean…"

"Edward!" Ed's heart stopped frantically pounding. It may have stopped altogether, he wasn't quite sure. Winry was running towards him, and Jools, and Jools thought he wanted to _marry_ her. Well, he kinda _did_, but what if Jools told Winry-!

He turned in time to see a swinging ponytail, and a swinging-er dress before Winry slammed into him.

"Oof!" He gasped, then he realized that Winry was _hugging_ him. Hugging meant not mad, right? "Heh, hi, Winry." He said, smiling. He hoped the red had gone from his face, but it probably hadn't. He was far too aware of Jools watching their every move.

"Welcome home, Ed." She said, pulling back and smiling in an echo of the time she'd literally knocked he and Al down in greeting.

"Thanks," Ed said. Then, he stepped back and extended a hand to Old Man Jools. "Winry, you remember-"

"Mr. Jools, at your service, sweetheart." He said, shaking Winry's hand. Winry smiled widely in recognition.

"How are you, Mr. Jools?"

"Just fine, just fine. Just telling your young man here that he'd better get a move on. Such talent and beauty won't stay available forever!"

Winry, still holding Jools' hand, blushed deeply, but Ed went red with anger and embarrassment. He grit his teeth, and stepped forward between them, forcing Winry to drop his hand. He turned towards the wagons, and gestured to the trunks.

"Old man Jools" (So what if there was a slight emphasis on 'old man'?) "here was just getting my trunks loaded up."

Winry moved her eyes to the two trunks, and her eyes widened.

"Wow, Ed, are these both yours?" She asked.

Ed laughed, rubbing his neck. "Yeah. I kinda bought some stuff. Hope you don't mind me cluttering up the room?" He was referring to the room he and Al always slept in when they stayed, the one they'd grown up in after their mother died, and in-between trips to Teacher. It was still technically a guest bedroom, and he'd never actually called it his. "There may be a present or two in there…" He mentioned casually. Winry lit up, just like when they were kids.

"A present!"

"Not earrings!"

Winry's excited face fell into an exaggerated pout, before she laughed. God, she was beautiful. Edward caught himself staring sappily a moment too late, and he earned Jools' elbow in the ribs.

"Now, if you please, miss. I'll give you a ride back on the cart, no charge!" Jools said, offering Winry a hand up to the wagon seat. "That lowabout will have to still pay me though!"

Winry laughed, and went to take the man's hand, but before she could, Ed was jolting forwards.

"Actually, Winry, I- I'm…" He stuttered to a stop; he could think of literally nothing to say, but luckily then, his hip gave a mighty crack and sore muscles cried out for a stretch. "I'm feeling stiff from the train, so...I thought I'd walk. Doyouwanttowalkwithme?" Ed clutched his hand to the back of his neck, his face burning again.

Winry grinned, and stepped back from Jools' offer. "Of course, Ed."

Jools looked far too pleased with himself, but got into the driver's seat without a fuss.

"Go on then, you two. Lucky I know the way. Leaving me to drive up that treacherous hill alone, and all that-"

"Oh, shaddap, I'm paying you!' Ed protested. "No complaining."

"Ed, you are _not_ one to talk about complaining." Winry interjected, and Ed looked at her in mock offense.

"Excuse me? I never complain." He lifted his chin, and began walking. Jools smiled and waved as he tapped the horse into a trot, and left them in the dust. Winry bit back a grin (he saw it!) and followed after him, with purposeful strides. Ed was pleased to note that it was not quite so easy as it used to be for her to catch up to him. Gone were the days of a leggy teenage girl easily outstriping his shorter legs (yes, he could admit it...now that he was taller than her, at least).

"Right, you never complain about being hungry, or bored, or cold, or-"

"Yeah, yeah, Winry. You're no picnic, either, you know? Always whining about my automail."

"Well, if you'd keep up on maintenance once in a while-"

"Hah!" Ed stopped, and yanked up his pants leg, holding his leg out in the Resembool sun. It glinted, shining with new oil and cleaned joints. "Take a look at that!"

Winry melted, her voice going an octave up.

"Ed, look at that! It's so clean!" She bent over his leg, grabbing onto it when he started to over balance. "What kind of oil did you use?"

Grinning in triumph, Edward stumbled, and put his foot back to the ground, letting the pant leg fall back down. "I dunno, something the Cretian's use. They have a _big_ automail market, but it's all designed completely differently. You'd love the market. It made Rush Valley seem small."

"Really!?" Winry gushed, her eyes large. "That's amazing! Oh, I want to go!"

Ed smiled, a bit of flush coming to his face as he thought about taking Winry with him on his travels. How Winry and Al had been the people he'd missed the most, even as he made friends and picked up traveling companions.

"Maybe you can, someday." He said, his voice involuntarily going soft and thoughtful. Then he cleared his throat. "Ahem, and that's where I got your presents, too. So, you'll at least be able to see some things."

"Oh, Ed!" Winry squealed, and threw her arms around his neck again. Edward laughed, and patted her back.

"Heh, you should wait til you see 'em to say thank you." She scoffed.

"They'll be fine, Ed." Winry pulled back, still looking happy, even as she pretended to be annoyed. He was sure he looked happy too. He _felt_ happy. Winry was here. He was home. Alphonse was happy and well, and doing what he loved. If this is what they paid for all those years of trials...he'd take it.

Now, if they could just...somehow...talk about the last time they'd seen each other. It was lovely to smile and hug Winry, and joke/fight with her like before, but… she was incredible, and gorgeous, and confident, and Ed couldn't deny that he'd very much like ...more. A kiss, maybe?

They walked for a moment in silence, and Ed suddenly found himself tense. Longing? Was that what this feeling was, when a moment ago he'd been full of joy?

"Winry? Last time I saw you…"

He couldn't finish. It was like that time on the train platform, when getting the words out felt like it would choke him. Argh! Ed began walking again, only to get attacked from behind.

_**WHACK!**_

His face abruptly fell into outraged shock, as Winry punched him in the right arm. Hard!

"Hey, what was that for?" He yelped, rubbing his arm. Gone was the happiness in Winry's face, and he frowned. "You're mad at me? Why are you mad at me? I kept up my automail! I wrote letters, and I wasn't even gone that long!"

Winry's countenance had changed from pretending annoyance to real annoyance, but for the life of him, Ed couldn't think what it was from. Had he done something?

Winry sighed, and waved her hand. "Just say it was for old time's sake."

Ed started forward, as she passed him by, frowning harder. "Old time's sake? Really?"

"Yes, really, Edward." She said. Fifteen year old Ed would have let that go. Said, 'I give up trying to understand you' and let her walk away. But the thought of not knowing why she was upset, and just letting her go, letting silence fall between them...it was unacceptable.

"Winry," He reached out, and took her wrist, stopping her stride forward, keeping her beside him. "What the hell is going on?" Well, never let it be said he'd grown up _too_ much.

She huffed, and rolled her eyes again.

"Maybe I just remembered how much of an idiot you are?" Her voice was a whip, and Ed jerked a little, frowning in confusion. Well, yeah, he was an idiot, but why in this particular moment?

"Winry!" Ed snapped, still holding her arm, though if she'd tried to get away, she'd be able to easily. She didn't struggle, just dropped her head. Flames rose in her cheeks, but she seemed to be shamed, rather than rageful now.

"You are an idiot." She said, and then rolled her whole face to the sky in exasperation. "Argh, I wasn't going to even bring this up!"

"This?"

Winry threw her hands in the air, jerking her arm out of a hopelessly confused Ed's fingers.

"You stayed here for _two years_. And you never once thought to tell me how you felt? Ask how I felt? You had to wait until we were _standing on the platform_, to yell at me about equivalent exchange? How long did you just wait around? How long could we have…?"

Edward's jaw was slack. That's what she was mad at? Then, she was right, he really was an idiot. Because, yes, though he'd realized his feelings years before, he waited til the last possible moment to confess. Too terrified of ruining things, he supposed. But, that last thing she'd said…

"How long we could have...what?" He asked. Winry blushed harder.

"Oh! Shut up, Edward!" She shouted, and Ed tried not to laugh.

"Winry, I didn't mean anything-" But, _her _mind went somewhere else..._?_ Suddenly, it occurred to him what that _somewhere else_ was, and he went beet red too. "Gosh, Winry, you have a dirty mind!"

"I do not!"

"Do too! I wasn't talking about anything like that!"

"You were smirking!"

"And smirking means I'm thinking about- about-?"

The whole conversation seemed to catch up to Winry, and she burst out laughing, bending over and holding her stomach, before sinking to the dusty ground. Edward gaped, and then threw his head back as well, laughter bubbling out of him.

"Oh my god," Ed gasped, trying to catch his breath. "You really are something." Still chuckling, he put out a hand to pull Winry to her feet. Smiling, she took it and when they were standing, neither of them let go. He stood for a moment, taking in a feel of Winry's palm against his skin. Then, he looked at her, and smiled gently.

"Winry, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was terrified. It was stupid of me."

Winry's face softened, and she squeezed his hand. "It was a stupid thing to get mad at. It's not like those two years were wasted. They were the best ones of my life."

Ed felt a wave of something crash through him, and all he could do was grin, sappily he was sure. Love. He might as well say it, (at least to himself). Love swept through him, and he hoped Winry could see it in his face.

"Me too."

Her eyes were blue. He'd known this his whole life, the same way a child knew the sky was blue. But, they've never looked so alive, or so warm. He'd also never felt so goopy, but he supposed that what's love felt like. But, it also felt like laughing at her pretend pouting, or screaming insults back and forth, or holding her hand. It felt like standing with her in the sun in Resembool- the place they'd both grown up, and knowing they'd seen the world and come out the stronger. It felt like home.

"You know, Winry?" Edward said, pulling her forward by their linked hands, his face much too close to hers. "If you felt the same way, you could have said something too…"

And, of course, Ed hadn't changed that much!

"Edward!"

Laughing, he pulled away, running off towards the house on his perfect automail. Winry tore after him, and laughter mixed with threats rose on the welcoming breeze.

* * *

This is the schmoopiest thing I've ever written. Ed and Winry are completely ridiculous, and I cannot even with them. Also, Old Man Jools is a completely made up character who came out of nowhere. Hope he doesn't bother too much.


End file.
